Flotation garments are well known. Usually, they include vests which are commonly referred to as life jackets, and belts. They may include other devices which have buoyant materials for helping support the body near the water surface with particularly the head of the body or at least the face supported out of the surface so that a person wearing the garment may float on or near the surface with little or no effort.
Garments which are used in sports have several requirements, among which are the flexibility and nonrestrictiveness of the garment so that it does not encumber or provides minimal encumbrance to the activity with which the garment is used.
Of primary importance, is the integrity of the garment and its ability to perform the desired function after long and repeated usage, sometimes in stressful situations.
In garments which are intended for use in sports, the ability to function after high impact is extremely important. That ability must be provided in the context of providing a vest which is as compact and nonrestrictive of movement as possible. The integrity of various parts of the vest under high impact conditions must be provided.